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The golf course, with multi-use residential and commercial development, would be set up in Manikonda village opposite to the Indian School of Business here.

HYDERABAD, Feb. 6

A WORLD-CLASS golf course, and a convention centre along with a business hotel, being built at a total investment of Rs 308.6 crore in the Cyberabad zone of Hyderabad, would be the latest jewels in the crown of Andhra Pradesh.

The State Government's nodal agency - Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) - had formulated the project in association with its project development and promotion partner - Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS).

The Government has chosen the Dubai-based property development major - Emaar Properties PJSC - for the implementation of the project through an international bid process.

The convention centre, with a seating capacity of 3,000 and an option to expand up to 5,000 seats in the plenary hall with additional breakaway rooms, would come up at Hitex in the grounds of National Academy of Construction (NAC) here.

A 300-room business hotel would also be constructed here to support the convention centre activities. The convention centre is estimated to cost Rs 43.7 crore and the business hotel would require Rs 34.3 crore.

This project would be implemented through a joint venture company having an equity participation of Emaar Properties and APIIC in the ratio of 51:49.

The golf course, with multi-use residential and commercial development, would be set up in Manikonda village opposite to the Indian School of Business (ISB) here. The project, estimated to cost Rs 230.6 crore, would also be implemented through another joint venture company with participation of Emaar Properties and APIIC in the ratio of 74:26.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of these two projects here on Thursday, the Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, expected them to take off within a period of 12 months.

In view of the expected growth potential in the State capital following various measures of the Government, he urged the Emaar-APIIC joint venture companies to make provision for around 8,000 seats in the convention centre and for 1,000 rooms in the business hotel project.

Stating that the Formula-1 Racecourse project is expected to come up in Hyderabad shortly, Mr Naidu said such a project alone requires a hotel facility of 3,000 rooms.

The measures being adopted by the Government to turn Hyderabad into a transit hub between Europe and China and to transform the State into healthcare, information technology, biotechnology and tourism destination have resulted in higher occupancy ratios for the local hotel industry compared to the national averages.

The Chairman of $2-billion Emaar Properties, Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, said the company expects to complete both the convention centre and golf course within the stipulated schedule.

Emaar, with over six years of experience in properties development across the globe, had recently completed a world-class golf course project in Dubai and the second one was expected to take off in the next six months.

The 6,000-seater convention centre built by Emaar at Dubai for the ensuing World Bank meet was completed recently with two star hotels (one four-star and one three-star) attached to it with a capacity of 250 rooms each.

Apart from having one of the largest property management companies in its fold, the Emaar group also has a subsidiary bank and an information technology company that provides integrated facilities to the group businesses.

Stating that the business hotel for the convention centre at Hyderabad would be ready with 300 rooms to begin with, Mr Alabbar said the capacity would be increased to 750 rooms based on the potential. In the case of residential and commercial complexes attached to the golf course, he said the construction would take off based on the local market requirements.

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